Every food rookie would at some time or another felt that annoying embarrassment they are enthrusted upon by food snobs who throw big culinary word at you knowing well that it might as well be Greek (or rather French) to you..here s my attempt to help you decode the C-language..
A
Abaisse-French term for a sheet of rolled out pastry.The term is also used for a cookie or a slice of sponge cake.
Agar agar-A vegetarian gelling agent.An extract of seaweed…also known as Bengal isinglass/Japanese moss..mostly used for ice creams,sauce and canned soups
B
Bain marie-A water bath to keep cooked dishes such as soups and sauces without allowing them to cook further..also used for melting or cooking delicate food slowly..
Blind baking- is the process of baking a pie crust or other pastry without the filling. Blind baking a pie crust is necessary when it will be filled with an unbaked filling (such as with pudding or cream pies) or when the filling has a shorter bake time than the crust. Blind baking a pie crust also helps prevent the pie crust from becoming soggy from its filling.Generally, the pie crust is lined with tin foil or parchment paper, then filled with dried peas, lentils or beans so that it will keep its shape when baking.
Beurre manie- (French "kneaded butter") is a dough, consisting of equal parts of soft butter and flour, used to thicken soups and sauces.
Bisque- a thick, creamy soup made from puréed seafood or vegetables
Blanch- is a cooking term that describes a process of food preparation wherein the food substance, usually a vegetable or fruit, is plunged into boiling water, removed after a brief, timed interval, and finally plunged into iced water or placed under cold running water (shocked) to halt the cooking process.
Braising- s a combination cooking method using both moist and dry heat; typically the food is first cooked at a high temperature and then finished in a covered pot with a variable amount of liquid, resulting in a particular flavor. Braising of meat is often referred to as pot roasting
C
Ceviche-peruvian cookery..raw fish marinated in lemon juice/citrus juice..usually served with raw onion rings ,tomatoes and sweetcorns
Charmoula- is a marinade.. usually used to flavor fish or seafood.
Chermoula- is often made of a mixture of herbs, oil, lemon juice, pickled lemons, garlic, cumin, and salt. It may also include onion, freshcoriander, ground chili peppers, black pepper, or saffron.There are many different recipes that use different spices, and the proportions vary widely. In most recipes, the first two ingredients are garlic and coriander.
Compote- is a dessert originating from 17th century France made of whole or pieces of fruit in sugar syrup. Whole fruits are immersed in water and with sugar and spices added to the dish, over gentle heat.
Concassee- from the French 'concasser', to crush or grind, is a cooking term meaning to rough chop any ingredient, usually vegetables. This term is most specifically applied to tomatoes, with tomato concasse being a tomato that has been peeled, seeded and chopped to specified dimensions
Confit-a piece of meat cooked in its own fat and stored in a pot..covered in the same fat to preserve it..
D
Dashi- Japanese stock usually made by soaking dried konbu seaweed or bonito flakes..
E
Emulsion- A preperation obtained by dispersing one immisible liquid in to another..mayonnaise is a excellent example where oil is incorpotated in vinegar
Eel- An oil-rich, meaty and strongly flavored fish. Long and snake-like
Egg liquor- A sweet, rich, spirit-based liqueur made with egg yolks, flavored with vanilla and sweetened with sugar
F
Filet mignon- French for ‘cute/dainty’ filet..it is a steak cut of beef taken from the tenderloin. The filet is most tender cut of beef and hence likely to blow a hole in your pocket.
Filo pastry-Phyllo or fillo dough is paper-thin sheets of raw, unleavened flour dough used for making pastries
predominant in Middle Eastern and Balkan cuisine.
Flambé – is a cooking procedure in which alcohol is thrown in a hot pan to create a burst of flames.
Flan-A flan is not a pie but is similar to a quiche or custard tart.
Foccacia- is flat oven-baked Italian bread. This may be topped with herbs or other ingredients.
Foie gras-is a food product made of liver or duck or goose that has been specially fattened
Fondant- is one of several kinds of icing -like substance used to decorate or sculpt pastries. The word, in French, means "melting.
G
Galangal- Galangal is a root from the ginger family that looks a bit knobbly. It is widely used in South-East Asian cuisine. It is an important ingredient in Thai curries pastes. It can be bought as fresh root, dried root or dried, ground powder.
Game- The term 'game' applies to wild animals and birds that are hunted and eaten.the popular ones are , pheasant, rabbit, venison and 'wild' boar.
Ganache-is a glaze, icing or filling for pastries’ made from chocolate and cream
With raw vegetables
H
Ham-Ham is a cut of meat from the thigh of the hind leg of certain animals, especially pig. Nearly all hams sold today are fully cooked or cured
Hollandaise-is an emulsion of egg yolk and butter. . In appearance it is light yellow and opaque, smooth and creamy. The flavor is rich and buttery.
Habenero chilies-blow your socks off hot chilies arguably the hottest chilies in the world. They are usually orangish lantern shaped with a fruity flavor
Hoisin sauce- a thick sweet and spicy Chinese sauce. Basic ingredients include soya beans sugar garlic vinegar
and chilies
I
Infusion-The process of steeping an aromatic substance in a boiling liquid until the liquid has absorbed the flavor. The resulting flavored liquid is also called infusion.
J
K
Luncheon meat-.Cold cuts also may be known as lunch meats, luncheon meats.
Mortadella- A large, cooked Italian salami originating from Bologna. It’s made with finely minced pork, garlic, salt and pepper stuffed into a natural casing and is sometimes studded with pistachios or green olives
and chilies
I
Iceberg lettuce- Iceberg is a large pale lettuce, with crisp densely packed leaves in a firm bowl shape. usually used in hamburgers, sandwiches and tacos
Infusion-The process of steeping an aromatic substance in a boiling liquid until the liquid has absorbed the flavor. The resulting flavored liquid is also called infusion.
J
Jambalaya-A New Orleans based dish inspired by Spanish paella.Traditionally made of highly spiced rice, chicken and ham.
Jointing-The process of cutting up meat and poultry in to large pieces at the joints
Jus- refers to either the juices that occur during the cooking process in particular when roasting. It is primarily used for gravy of a roast, made by diluting the pan juices with stock. Dishes described as ‘au jus’ are prepared or served with this gravy
K
Konbu- Dried Japanese seaweed eaten as food, often used to flavor stock
Kosher- Food that is not in accordance with Jewish law is called treif
L
Langoustine-A succulent, white shellfish, langoustines (also known as scampi) are closely related to the lobster.
Lard-Lard is fine, white pork fat that has been rendered and clarified. It is used for slow cooking and deep-frying and is said to make the best crisp, flaky pastry.
M
Meringue-, A mixture of whipped egg whites and sugar that is baked at a low temperature for several hours until dry on the outside and sticky on the inside. Make them into Pavlova, Eton mess, baked Alaska, lemon meringue pie
Mirepoix- A mixture of diced vegetables – usually onion, leek, carrot and celery – and sometimes bacon and herbs. It is sautéed in butter and is the basis of many sauces, soups and stews.
Miso- A fermented paste made from soya beans and rice, barley, wheat or rye, used in Japanese and South East Asian cookery.
